Eye of the Tiger
by SevenSnakes
Summary: A chance encounter with a stranger can change a life. When a man in a white mask brings a little girl with an affinity for big cats to Konoha her life changes forever. How will this affect her and those around her as she grows up and trains as a ninja? And can someone actually sleep more than a Nara? OC
1. Chapter 1

Eye of the Tiger

Warnings: Violence, death and other dark themes (A/N a great way to kickoff the story)

* * *

The appearance of a shinobi wearing a porcelain white mask arriving through the window several stories high caused no reaction from the Sandaime Hokage other than releasing a sigh. No matter how often he wished, his ANBU preferred the 'efficiency' found in using his window rather than the common curtsey of using the door much to his disdain. Sometimes Hiruzen Sarutobi believed everyone just came through his window simply to annoy him.

"Hokage-sama." Dog bowed his head towards the Hokage as he stood before him, awaiting to hear his orders from the man who summoned him.

"Dog-san, do you know of the Ryoshi clan?" Hiruzen asked the young man. The Ryoshi clan had been eating away in the back of his mind as time went on. The clan that had always made sure to check in with Konoha every few months hadn't been heard from in almost a year. The Ryoshi clan resided in the southwest of the Land of Fire, near the border of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Waves, acting as a barrier protecting this country from enemy ninja, which was the main reason why one of the most important families from Konoha were allowed to move from the village. If something has happened with the Ryoshi clan, then Hiruzen needed to find out before the other villages find out and strike.

Dog simply nodded his head towards his Hokage. Almost anyone who has ever read a book on the history of the Konoha would be able to tell you the basics about them. The Ryoshi clan are the owners of one of the four great dojutsu, known for their abilities involving summons, and the clan helped to make Konoha what it is today.

"It has been far too long since I have received a message from them and it makes me worried. If something has happened to them then it leaves the country open to attack. Your mission is to head to where the Ryoshi clan lives and investigate what has happened and report back as soon as possible. And depending on the situation I will trust your judgement to do what you think is best. Please make haste with this mission and leave as soon as possible."

With a nod of the ANBU members head letting the Sandaime know that the young man accepted his mission, Dog vanished out of Hiruzen's window. Honestly, Hiruzen thought, sometimes he wonder why he even has a door.

* * *

Dog had been running for nearly two days till he arrived to the Ryoshi clan complex, or what remained of it. The entire building had been burned down around what he would guess looked like several months ago according to his sense of smell.

As Dog made a quick mental scan of his surroundings he noticed obvious signs of a struggle that had taken place here but no signs of bodies. He figured it'd be best to have the pack help him search around so he took out a kunai from his pocket and nicked his thumb and proceeded to swipe his bleeding thumb across a scroll while doing the necessary hand signs.

Eight dogs of varying sizes and colors appeared before the young man, all of them taking a quick glance around to get a gist of the situation.

"I think we're a bit late to the party." The deep voice that spoke out first surprisingly belonged to the smallest of them all who was perched atop a huge bulldog's head, pausing for a brief moment to sniff the air before continuing. "I'd say about four or five months late if my nose is correct, which it always is."

"Yo boss, if you're wanting us to track down whoever was here five months ago, that might be a bit out of our capabilities." The tan colored canine added in his input, but feeling that wasn't enough to get across to his summoner he decided to go on. "Five months is like _really_ old. Like, like, so old that it's super old! Like that old man who writes your pervy-" _Bonk._ A quick whack on the head by the pug was enough to stop the other's rant.

"Shut up Guruko, now you are just giving me a headache from your constant yapping pup." The pug known as Pakkun then looked up towards his summoner, waiting for the situation to be debriefed with the rest of the pack. The quicker he gets this done with the quicker he can get back to what he was doing, laying on his back in front of the fireplace awaiting the bellyrubs which would be bestowed upon him when his summoner returned home. Unlike most summons, the ninken preferred to stay in the home of their summoner when not needed rather than return to their realm. What wasn't there to like, Pakkun thought, a warm place to sleep, free food and belly rubs.

"I need some of you to search the surrounding area and see if you can pick up any scents of survivors if they happened to stay nearby while the rest of you investigate the remains and see if you can pick up any clues on what happened." Dog instructed to his ninken, and without another moment being wasted his canines broke into two groups. The group which would search the surrounding area consisted of Pakkun, who was his best tracker, as well as Bisuke, Akino, Uhei and Guruko, leaving Bull, Shiba, Bisuke and Urushi to investigate the remnants of the Ryoshi Clan complex.

Dog also joined in the search of the surrounding woods. They were only searching about half an hour when he heard Pakkun's gruff voice in his mind.

"You need to come see this. Head northeast and then follow my scent. The rest of the pack are also on their way."

"Enemy?" Dog responded back to the pug in his mind while swiftly making his way towards him.

"Unknown, but I sense three sources of chakra, one human and two not, but while powerful none of them seem as though they would cause you any harm unless instigated. " Pakkun was not known as the leader and brains of the ninken for nothing. While all the ninken had an amazing sense of smell, Pakkun was on a whole other level, being able to smell target from much further away, identify between different scents and tell what type of danger they would pose. The only thing bother him was what were those two other scents… they seemed familiar, almost as if they were…

"The two other unknown scents are summons. One in particular has an unusually high amount of chakra, whoever their summoner is must be exceptionally gifted in regards to chakra reserves for them to be high enough to summon them."

"Do you think they could be a member of the Ryoshi clan?" Pakkun's summoner responded as he arrived to the pug's location and found that the rest of the pack had also just arrived. Up ahead, about several hundred feet Dog could see an entrance to a cave and able to sense three flickers of different chakra signatures.

"That would make sense, though the Ryoshi clan were known to primarily summon one being at a time. I would suggest taking myself and one other with you so as not to seem too intimidating." Taking Pakkun's advice in hand he headed towards the cave while signalling to Pakkun and Bull to follow him and allowed his chakra to flare up a bit so as to let those in the cave aware that he was approaching.

Dog and his two ninken travelled to the entrance at the cave slow enough to show no ill intent, and upon their arrival they found themselves faced with one of the summons, an immense Bengal tiger whose height reached more than a foot over his head, which was no small feat as Dog himself measured at almost 6 feet. As the tiger took a few more footsteps in their direction he could see its muscles rippling under his glossy fur after every movement. Dog felt himself slightly tense up and prepared himself to attack in case things took sour turn.

Dog felt the beast's bright golden eyes scan him over with a predatory look, as if wondering if he would be a good snack or not, until it decided to rest it's gaze upon his ANBU mask before speaking.

"Human," The tiger spoke, sounding male from his tone. "Why do you wear a mask? Is it to hide your fear? If so there is no point because I can smell it on you. When a mere mortal comes into contact with a king it is only a natural reaction." When he finished he gave a toothy grin as if to emphasize his point. Dog never even realized a cat could grin, but then again Pakkun always managed his smug looking smirk, so he supposed it made sense. Must be a summons thing.

"Then go ahead and smell, for I feel no fear in meeting you." The masked ninja replied, causing the tiger to inhale his scent through his nose and then he narrowed his golden eyes.

"Then you are simply a fool with no sense of preservation. It makes no difference, you will go down as easily as all the others who dared to come this far, and then you will be able to join all your kin from Rivers and Waves in the ground… well what remains of you after I have had my fill." The tiger growled out, taking another step forward till there was less than 3 meters between the two. Bull tensed and looked as if he were to step in between the two until Dog told him to stay back with the slightest twitch of his hand.

"I believe there is a misconception which I should fix," Dog replied evenly, continuing as he took of his ANBU mask, leaving just his normal blue mask and his Konoha Hitai-ite. "I was sent from Konoha to check on the Ryoshi clan."

The beast then took in this new information while studying the man's face. "A mask underneath a mask, was one not effective enough? Why do you continue to hide if you are who you say?"

"Ah, I think it makes me look more mysterious don't you think?" The masked man replied with a tilt of his head, before placing the ANBU mask back covering his face. The tiger had to wonder if all human men were this idiotic or if he was just a special case.

Before anything else could be said Kakashi sensed the other two chakra signatures approaching, and heard two sets of footsteps, one the sound of heavy paws and the other tiny feet. The footsteps coming from the human were so small and light that if he didn't know better he would have thought they were from a…

"Ano, did you say you were from Konoha?" A melodic voice came from what appeared to be a 5 year old child, a little girl who was peering out from behind the other summon which was another huge tiger, except this one was white with brilliant blue eyes.

The little girl didn't even come up to the huge beast's chest. She had pale skin and black curly hair, all normal for a young girl except the the pair of large golden cat-like eyes which made the girl seem more intimidating than any 5 year old rightfully should look while still managing to retain the a childlike innocence. She seemed too young and innocent to have enough chakra to summon the two tigers, but thinking back to himself at that age he had no right to judge.

"Hayami, what are you doing?!" The harsh voice of the orange tiger growled out while tilting his face towards her. Glaring at the little girl, Hayami, he continued. "I told you to stay in the back of the cave with Shiruba while I enjoyed my snack."

"Quiet Gorudo, you'll make Hayami-sama upset. I sensed no ill intent from the human so I deemed it was fine." The white tiger, Shiruba spoke, her voice sounding much softer than her male counterpart, while carrying a slight motherly tone while speaking of the young girl.

"If she got upset at such a thing then she wouldn't be my bondmate." Gorudo growled out. "But if you feel the need to watch mistress, then feel free to. Perhaps I'll make a show out of it." As the fiery tiger took another step towards Dog, he felt the need to take control of this situation and decided to directly address the one who seemed to hold the most power of the three in this situation. He knelt down before he spoke.

"Excuse me miss, I was sent by the Hokage to inquire about the Ryoshi clan, would you happen to be able to help me out?" Dog spoke softly to the young girl, not wanting to intimidate her. The girl got a dark look in her eyes for a moment, one that shouldn't belong on a 5 year old, before she stepped forwards from beneath the white tiger and past Gorudo, ignoring his growls. She stopped about a meter away before speaking to Dog.

"The Yellow Flash sent you?" She questioned while looking up excitedly. It was common for children of the Country of Fire to idolize the Fourth Hokage, who was like a superhero in their eyes. Remembering the Fourth, Dog looked down, and before he could speak the white tiger, Shiruba spoke up.

"Hayami-sama, remember it is the Third Hokage who is in power now. The Fourth died during the Kyuubi attack." Shiruba gently reminded the girl. Dog was thankful he was wearing his ANBU mask so that they wouldn't see a flash of pain flitting across his face, though his ninken seemed to understand and Pakkun slightly nudged the back of his leg.

"Ah, gomen." Hayami apologized to Dog while slightly bowing her head. "Are you one of the ANBU of Konoha?" She questioned, to which he simply nodded his head. "My name is Hayami Ryoshi, and these are my summons Shiruba and Gorudo. It's nice to meet you…?"

Before Dog could think of a reply to give her Pakkun stepped forward and decided to take control.

"Pleasure to meet you Hayami-san, my name is Pakkun, and this big guy next to me is referred to as Dog, and the other big guy next to him is Bull." Pakkun spoke as he sat himself right in front of her and raised his paw up. Seeing this Hayami giggled as she knelt in front of Pakkun and shook his paw.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Pakkun-san." She replied with a cute smile, and Bull not wanting to be left out walked forward to and plopped himself down right in front of her, easily towering over her tiny form and raised a giant paw with a low gruff.

Dog almost face palmed, Bull was nearly three times the girl's size, there's no way the girl won't see him as a threat, but much to his pleasant surprise Hayami simply giggled and shook his one giant paw with two of hers.

"And it is very nice to meet you as well Bull-san." The girl told the enormous canine, who simply gave a grunt of what seemed to be content.

Then in a blink of an eye both tigers seemed to flank the girl's sides, and no longer seeing any hostile nature from the summons, besides a growl of annoyance from Gorudo he stepped forward so that Dog was in line with his ninken.

"Can you tell me where the rest of your clan is?" The young man asked, who received a sad look in reply, until it was replaced with another smile, though sadder this time. Suddenly he felt a tiny hand grab his and he had to stop himself from pulling out a kunai, which he knew would not have been appreciated by the tigers. So he restrained his urge to attack and allowed himself to be 'dragged' back to the remnants of the clan house and then a little farther south until he came across would looked like a little cemetery.

Looking around he saw small stones with what looked to be names scratched onto them, about 30 in total. Taking a deep breath in he had to stop himself from retching at the residing smell of burnt corpses. They kept walking through until they got to three stones which were larger and more ornate, decorated with claws. When the girl who was still holding his hand decided to kneel before them he had no choice but to copy her, also kneeling onto the earth.

"These are the graves I made for them," she spoke, pointing at the three in front of them. "This is Otousan, Ojisan, and Oniisan." He noticed that the grave which she pointed at for her brother seemed to be the most decorative, even having beautiful colored stones around it.

"They were killed 5 months ago." Hayami started, her voice steady and unwavering, in a tone that would use in telling about what groceries they got. It was only the look in her eyes that let Dog know how much this hurt her. "They came in the middle of the night, I don't even know how many of them there were but it shouldn't have mattered, our clan had dealt with enemies of greater numbers and still came out ahead. What we hadn't dealt with before was being our chakra being drained, and our breathe being stolen." At this point Gorudo laid down behind her, engulfing her back in his side while keeping his golden eyes focused on Dog, and Pakkun decided to nestle himself onto the young girl's lap.

( _Flashback 5 months ago)_

 _It wasn't till late at night after the moon had already risen that Hayami began to head back to the houses that made up the clan complex with Gorudo after spending the day training together in the main grounds. As she walked back, she noticed what seemed to be a strange barrier form in the sky surrounding the complex._

" _Goru-kun, what's that?" The young girl inquired while pointing at the barrier, wondering whether she should be worried, or if perhaps one of her clanmates were practicing a new jutsu._

 _The large orange tiger observed the sky for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly in concern, not liking how this barrier was making him feel. However, he downplayed his concerns so as not to worry his young summoner._

" _I'm unsure mistress, but it feels strange. Let's go find the young master and see if he has a better understanding of the situation." Gorudo told her in a even tone, the feeling of unease starting to grow deeper in his stomach. He sent out a pulse of chakra locating Hikaru's signature and following it, making sure his black haired mistress kept up behind him._

 _The two ended up approaching what seemed to be one place where the barrier ended, where a group of the Ryoshi clansmen gathered around and appeared to be discussing the barrier. Before Gorudo could stop her Hayami called out for her brother._

" _Onii-chan!" The young girl exclaimed while running towards her brother, who was accompanied by his bondmate Shiruba like usual. As he noticed his little sister the look on Hikaru's face grew more distressed, but he didn't let her see it as he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her into his arms._

 _If one didn't know before hand that the two were sibling then they never would have guessed. While Hayami had curled black hair, pale skin and bright eyes of liquid gold, her brother Hikaru was almost the opposite, sporting pure white straight hair, tan skin and remarkably blue eyes that almost seemed unreal._

" _Hayami!" The white haired boy faltered seeing his younger sister, knowing something was amiss and not wanting her out here. A look towards the white tiger confirmed that she shared his sentiments. "What are you doing here? You should be inside." He admonished her while keeping an eye out on the barrier and for any possible threats_

 _A loud voice rang out over the clansmen who were discussing the barrier drawing the sibling's attention as well as their bondmates'. It was their father's youngest brother Jun, a chuunin ninja who retired for a life of chakra research._

" _The barrier appears to have been created with wind chakra affinity." Jun Ryoshi announced to his clan, who all quieted down in order to pay attention to him. Everyone in the clan knew that Jun was intelligent, especially when it came to chakra, having studied it for the last 11 years. Many people from the clan came to seek his counsel in regards to chakra, including his elder brother the clan leader who voiced his concerns to Jun about Hayami's chakra._

" _I believe that by fortifying our bodies with wind chakra and forcing them to interact that they two wind chakras would negate one another, thus dispelling the barrier." Jun continued. While his chakra affinity was not in wind, he had dabbled with many different elemental chakra types in order to help advance his research by being able to test his own theories._

 _After speaking, the scholar focused his chakra so that he could coat his arm in wind chakra, which took extreme concentration and would drain his chakra reserves in about 5 minutes. Knowing that time was of the essence he reached towards the barrier and pushed against it, and it caused a hole the size of his fist and the section below it to open up. Jun then forced wind chakra to coat around his body, and forced himself to stand under the barrier. He could hold this for 2 minutes at least._

" _See everybody, the two wind chakras nullify one another and-"He froze, and realized a fatal flaw in his calculations. He was already experiencing a numbing migraine and his limbs were starting to shake as his breathing became increasingly labored. Signs of chakra exhaustion and the beginning signs of asphyxiation. That shouldn't be possible, he thought, it hasn't even been a minute. Unless the barrier was-_

 _A gurgled scream was the last sound Hayami ever heard come from her uncle Jun as the barrier collapsed back onto him and seemed to shred him apart, a splash of blood splattering out onto the group. That's when the screaming began._

 _Hikaru had been too frozen in shock to turn his younger sister away from the scene in time. However, after receiving a nudge on the leg by his bondmate he quickly snapped himself out of it. I don't have time to feel scared right now, he mentally scolded himself, I have to protect Hayami._

 _Looking at the 5 year old in his arms whose eyes had begun to leak tears Hikaru knew he had to take action quick. He quickly scanned his surroundings, thinking of the best course of action. They needed to get as far away from the hysteria as possible, with everyone trying different jutsus and anything else the could think of to get out. He decided it would be best if they headed to the opposite side of the complex, so he took off at chakra increased speed to the other side, with Shiruba and Gorudo flanking him on either side. As he ran he felt that his chakra reserves were depleting faster than they should have and that the amount of oxygen he took in for every breath was slowly decreasing._

 _Then everything got worse. The screams of panic that Hayami heard turned into screams of terror and pain. Taking a shallow breath in she was able to tell that enemy ninja had entered through the barrier._

" _Nii-chan," She whispered to him, her voice trembling._

" _Shh, I know, don't worry." Tightening his grip on his sister he arrived at the opposite side of the complex in the garden where his mother used to spend her time before her death, the two tigers in tow. He sent a wave of chakra in his body to his eyes activating his Dobuyona, making his blue eyes become more slitted and narrowed like a cat. He placed Hiyami down on a stone bench and took up a crouch in front of her, continuously scanning the surroundings. Goruda came up wrapped his body around her, making Hikaru feel slightly more at ease knowing that as long as Gorudo was here he would act as a shield between Hayami and the rest of the world._

" _Hikaru, please rest, by keep your eyes activated it will only deplete your chakra faster." Shiruba pleaded with her bondmate, though she knew that he would ignore it. To him his little sister was his world, an angel sent to save him in his darkest time. He loved his sister so much that he would would do anything to save her no matter the consequence, even laying down his life for her which is what Shiruba feared._

 _Feeling two enemy nin make their way towards them the white haired teen glanced at Shiruba who nodded her head in resignation, the feeling of dread in her gut increasing to a level that made her almost physically sick._

" _Dobuyona: Animal Drive!" He shouted as he made a quick series of hand signs, blue eyes becoming red, a rarity which only happened in extreme situations. Shiruba turned into a white glowing sphere which encased itself around Hikaru. When the glowing finally faded away he was in his animal drive form, black stripes adorning his tanned body and white hair, nails lengthened into claws, canines into fangs as well as a set of ears and a tail to match Shiruba's._

 _In this form he could truly feel the signs of chakra exhaustion coming on, but thanks to using the white tiger's chakra he would be able to manage using chakra for a little longer. His breathing however had gotten worse._

 _While Hayami noticed her own breathing getting slightly more shallow she still managed to find enough oxygen to not have to gasp for breath. Her brother didn't seem to be faring as well, his tan chest coated in sweat rose more and more with need. She activated her eyes for a moment to get a feel for his chakra and was shocked. While her own chakra was still glowing bright at about three quarters of her normal amount, Hikaru's chakra was dimmer than she'd ever seen before, less than a quarter of his own stores remaining._

 _Realizing his mistress was about to call out and potentially distract her brother he pushed his tail against her chest, letting her know that her voicing out her concerns would only hurt the other human._

 _With the arrival of the two enemy ninja Gorudo took up a fearsome stance in front of her which would make anyone with half a brain to think twice before attacking the girl._

" _Hehehehe, looks like we got ourselves a bit of fresh meat. I told you we would find some fun ones to play with if we separated from the group."The first man cackled to the other, who besides nodding stayed quiet. The first man's eyes seemed to rack over the two sibling's, pausing briefly at Gorudo before sporting a look of realization after staring at Hayami. "Hehe, well aren't we extra lucky. Seems we got the two baby clan heirs. The girl is the one we are looking for I believe." To which the other man nodded._

" _Same hair. No doubt about it, that's her. Your father has been looking for you. He wanted us to tell you that he'll see you soon." The previously silent man said. At that point Hikaru sent out a particularly threatening growling, crouching down and prepared to attack. A sharp smell of copper penetrated the young man's nose, seeming familiar but he was unable to place it. He saw the more talkative man pull out something from behind his back, a large sphere shaped object dangling from something._

" _We met your father in the woods, he tried to take us on by himself, in hopes to give this clan a_ head _start on getting rid of the barrier. But look who actually came out a_ head?" _The man snickered two them before throwing their father's head to the ground which rolled until it stopped right in front of Hikaru's feet._

 _Then all the striped boy saw was red as he lunged forward towards the man who threw the head and ripped out his throat and getting it all over his own face in hair, all in the blink of an eye. As he released the now dead body to fall onto the ground Hikaru dropped into a crouch and prepared to attack the other man, but at this point he was nearing the end of the extra chakra he gained from joining with Shiruba and would soon collapse into severe chakra exhaustion if the lack of oxygen didn't do him in first._

" _Thank god, that man was starting to get on my nerves." The last man announced before letting out a dark laugh. "Now you get to deal with me, and for some reason I feel that the odds are not in your favor." Then he attacked._

 _Hayami watched on in horror, tears streaking down her face as her brother and the enemy ninja grapple with one another, with a barrage of kunai and claws. The fight seemed to start slowing down on Hikaru's side, the lack of oxygen and chakra exhaustion finally getting to him, causing the other shinobi to get the advantage._

 _Hikaru knew he was fighting a losing battle, he had about another minute or two in him max before he was finished. And he would devote those last moments to ensuring that his sister made it to safety, so at least one of them would live on._

" _Hayami! While I take care of this I need you to run!" He shouted to the best of his ability, speaking making him lose what precious oxygen he could take in faster._

" _But I can help!" She cried out in desperation, not willing to think of what would happen to her brother if she ran._

" _Hayami listen! Open your ears and listen!" She did as her brother asked and what she heard then was more terrifying than the screams of her clan. Silence. "They're gone Hayami! Our family, our clan, everyone! That means in about a minute the rest of the enemy is going to be here so please do what I tell you and run! Don't let our deaths be in vain!"_

" _But the barrier-"_

" _Just run through it, and I promise you will be fine. Run through it with Goru and keep running! Don't stop till Goru says it's safe! Please!" He shouted back desperately, barely being able to speak while fighting and struggling to catch his breath._

" _But onii-chan!"_

" _Just do what you're told for once! I promise it will be fine and onii-chan doesn't break his promises, you know that." He stopped talking for a quick moment grasping for whatever last bit of air he could before whispering the rest, which she was only barely able to catch with her heightened hearing. "Hayami-chan please go. Know that I love you and will always be looking out for you. You are the most precious thing in my life. I will see you again but not for many many years. I love you."_

 _"I love you too Hikaru-nee-chan!" She choked out through her sobs, sending one last attempt of a smile to her brother. "Until we meet again." Then she made a dash towards the barrier with Gorudo on her heels._

" _Till we meet again" Hikaru whispered to himself and released his animal drive as he reached his claws forward through the man's chest at the same time as the enemy ninja sheathed his blade into Hikaru's chest. just in time as a blade pierced through his chest. In his last seconds he glanced back and smiled as he saw that his sister had managed to make it out safely, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he closed his eyes for the last time._

 _Hayami kept running and running until she looked and realized that she had made it through the barrier and farther. She dropped to her knees and sobbed, screaming for the family she had lost, and for the brother that she would never see again. Her only source of comfort being the large orange tiger who wrapped himself around his mistress, wishing he could bear all of her sorrow for her._

 _(End of Flashback)_

By the end of her story she was blinking her eyes sleepily, and let out a yawn before she curled into Gorudo's back, still clutching Dog's hand with one tiny fist while the other held Pakkun to her chest.

Dog looked a little unsure of what to do, worried that he would wake her if he tried to pull his hand away, but also feeling increasing discomfort from his kneeled down and arched over position. Then as if answering Dog's mental prayers Gorudo voice softly rumbled from her chest.

"Well boy, are we not heading to Konoha? That is your mission right? Or was your mission to leave a little girl in the woods to fight off more enemy ninja while you incompetent fools just continue to ignore this area and go back to lazing about?" The regal tiger spoke as he flicked his tail from side to side, which the masked shinobi realized was a sign of irritation.

So Dog somehow managed to lift the girl and place her in one arm, cradled to his chest, while leaving his other arm free. Pakkun was glad he let the little girl hold onto him during the story because now he was getting a free ride back home, his content at the situation easily recognisable from the gleam in his eye.

Thinking back to the what Hayami said one part of the story didn't seem to add up in Dog's head. She told how the enemy ninja killed her clan, but she didn't mention anything about what had happened to the enemy ninja.

"Hayami-san didn't mention what had happened to the enemy ninja. Are they still a threat?" The ANBU captain inquired of the two tigers, resulting in Gorudo's head tilting slightly down.

"That would be because she doesn't remember." The tiger's voice seemed to take on a darker tone. "All you need to know is that the following night they caught up to us and she snapped, By the end of it there wasn't even enough remains to string up as medals to show off to any who would dare to try and attack again sadly, but that's a story for another time, a story not told by me. However, if you are interested in seeing some of those, if we take a detour a few miles west closer to the border I can show you some of my best work." The male feline lifted his head and seemed to puff up his chest, apparently proud of these 'medals'.

"Ah, I think I'll pass." Dog rubbed the back of his head a bit in discomfort, Gorudo giving an annoyed huff at his response. "Anyways, is there anything you need to get before we venture to Konoha?" He questioned the two tiger summons, effectively changing the topic.

"We always keep everything in our realm for safekeeping in case we need to change locations at a moment's notice, so we are ready whenever you are." Shiruba replied softly before trotting up next to Dog, on the opposite side of bull.

"I don't like you. Just so we are clear." Came the harsh tone of Gorudo, who placed himself somewhat farther ahead of the shinobi. "But as long as you're helping my mistress then I am inclined to make sure that we make haste and that nothing gets in our way. The faster we get to where she is safe, the sooner Shiruba can return to our realm in order to lessen the strain placed upon my mistress by sustaining both of us in this world continuously for as long as she has."

With that Gorudo fell into a speed that a lesser shinobi wouldn't have been able to keep pace with, but Dog managed to easily keep pace while making sure not to shake Hayami too much.

"How long has the young pup been keeping the two of you sustained? The two of you both have enormous chakra stores, so it can't be an easy task having the two of you out and this strong for too long." Pakkun commented. He knew the his summoner could keep him and the pack around for weeks before needing a small break, but that would be if he wasn't using much chakra otherwise. However, when the pack decided to reside at Kakashi's when not 'on duty' they took up no chakra so they could stay as long as they wanted. Besides that it was usually around a week if there were several missions that needed more help than the pack could provide. Then again Kakashi was an 18 year old jounin and ANBU captain who was known as a child prodigy, he really can't be used as reference to what is normal.

"She has managed for 5 months so far, and if it was necessary she could manage for 5 more, but at that point the strain would begin affecting her chakra coils, but even then she would try and keep it up." Gorudo told them as he ran, with a faint sound of pride shining through. "She is a strong for one so young, but then again I would accept nothing less."

"While the Ryoshi clan specialize in utilizing summoning contracts and that makes the toll upon the summoner much less chakra consuming, what she has done is still hard to believe, and my brother is right, it is incredibly impressive for one of her age." Shiruba added in softly while keeping pace beside Dog. "Or I suppose I should say any age, it's been many generations since a Ryoshi has had the same amount of potential as Hayami-sama. But it truly is too great a toll on her. While she is able to sustain us her body has to keep compensating for the constant chakra loss by sleeping. As time has gone on the amount of time she spends awake has slowly decreased, now she is only able to be awake for about 6 hours before needing to fall asleep."

"Kisa doesn't think it's that big of a deal." Gorudo added in from ahead. Before he seemed to catch wind of something and changed paths suddenly. Before the young shinobi could even worry, the white tiger spoke up.

"Don't fret, Gorudo will take care of it pest and return back quickly. Just continue along." She said to Dog, who after giving another glance in the direction the other tiger ran off too he continued on, deciding if Pakkun would be able to sense if the enemy was a threat. "And Kisa says it's not such a big deal because that's about the amount of the time that he is awake for. Stupid lion." She muttered, her tail swishing back and forth.

A few moment later Gorudo returned, they only trace of what had happened being the small splash of blood on his muzzle, making the already huge beast look even more intimidating.

They continued the rest of their trek in silence with Gorudo leading the way, Shiruba and Bull flanking him, while the rest of his ninken trailed after them, except Pakkun. The small pug was just enjoying the ride while making sure to keep his nose clear in case of any threat, but that hadn't been an issue with the orange tiger leading the way.

As they approached the village the two tiger summons paused, causing Dog and his pack to pause as well. Wondering why they stopped when they were so close Dog turned his gaze to focus on the fiery tiger.

"Before we arrive to the village we must change our sizes so as not to terribly frightened the poor little humans too much." Gorudo gruffed out sarcastically. After his explanation both he and Shiruba began to glow a soft white, shrinking until they were considered a more 'appropriate size', which still came up to Dog's midsection, with Shiruba being a few centimeters shorter. "Alright, now we may continue to go meet up with more of you _delicious_ \- I mean _delightful_ humans." He said with a smirk, and Dog knew he did that fully on purpose.

At this point Dog decided it would be a good idea to return his summons, because too many animals is just going to draw even more unwanted attention, even though with the two tigers it seemed a bit inevitable, but he still returned all except for Pakkun who was still in the little girl's grip.

When they approached the gates of the village, saying the guards faces were surprised was a bit understated. Genma, who was on guard detail didn't know what to think when he saw the Dog ANBU arrive while holding a small child and flanked by two rather large tigers. However, with one look to the ANBU's posture he decided now wasn't a time to ask questions and simply bowed his head while asking if there was anything he could do for him. With a shake of the ANBU's head he sprinted past the gates and through the city in the dead of night. Genma decided to forget what happened rather than cause a headache wondering what could possible have lead to that situation.

Though it was late at night Hiruzen was still finishing up the last of the day's paperwork, working in his candle lit room, hoping to get some sleep before the sun rose. However, with the arrival of a large tiger leaping through his window he knew that wasn't going to happen.

* * *

A/N

I'm still working out the kinks on formatting so apologies if anything looks weird, I'll work on that.


	2. Chapter 2

Eye of the Tiger

Warnings: Mild language

* * *

Gorudo had never been one to take challengers lightly, so when he was suddenly surrounded by four shinobi in white masks who were focusing their killing intent on him he was incensed. How dare these cretins even attempt to threaten me, he thought enraged, they should be cowering before me. The large tiger flattened his ears back and bared his teeth as he crouched down in preparation to pounce and tear out their throats.

"If you truly intended to threaten a king then I hope you are prepared for the consequences." He growled out, giving the challengers one chance to back down and beg for forgiveness. After seeing that none of them stood back and lowered themselves to the ground the orange tiger let out a bellowing roar and then felt a presence behind him appear from the window, marking the appearance of traveling party.

When Dog arrived carrying Hayami with Shiruba at his side about 30 seconds after Gorudo he mentally facepalmed, not believing the situation that had occurred during his brief absence. The orange feline had wanted to check ahead of time to make sure there were no traps awaiting Hayami and ran off, ignoring Dog's protests. The ANBU captain was unable to go as fast as the feline while carrying the young girl in his arms and so he had hoped nothing too drastic would happen in the few seconds which he wouldn't be present, but of course something had to go wrong. Dog realized he had to do damage control before the situation got even more out of hand.

"Yo, I see you guys met Gorudo-san." The white haired shinobi spoke to his fellow ANBU. Seeing the relaxed stance which their captain was in caused them to momentarily pause, especially after they noted another large white tiger beside their comrade. "He's one the summons of Hayami of the Ryoshi clan." Dog spoke while he gestured to the girl still sleeping in his arm. Then focusing his attention on the large orange cat.

"This is why I told you not to wander off Gorudo. Obviously they aren't going to take a large cat jumping through the window lightly." Dog lightly scolded to the orange tiger while trying not to set off the already enraged tiger more.

"Watch your mouth boy." Gorudo spit out. "How dare you speak to me so commonly? Show respect to your betters." The male tiger was already livid at these mortals attempts to strike terror in **him.** How dare they believe that they could get away with such a thing, he would have their lives in compensation for their indiscretions.

"I demand their lives in retribution for the insults they have shown towards me." Gorudo roared out, so loudly it seemed to shake the room. Perhaps he would take Dog's too, for the ninja had been eating away at his nerves, only being allowed to live up to this point because of his mistress' wishes.

At that remark the four ANBU that surrounded Gorudo readied themselves to fight, each ANBU either drew kunai or prepared themselves to form hand seals.

"Stand down." Commanded the Sandaime, who had been silent up to this point, observing the situation as unfolded. He had just sent out the fifth ANBU who had appeared into the room to send for the Jounin commander, for Hiruzen felt he would need the man's advice in order to help facilitate the rest of the night in a more smooth manner.

At the command of their Hokage the ANBU instantly froze and backed away from the tiger, kneeling down towards their Hokage. The orange tiger observed the display, paying close attention to the old man who was trying to end his fun.

"I didn't realize that you all humans were a bunch of cowards, I will be sure to rip out your spines so you shall all die the invertebrates you truly are." Gorudo hissed out, his instincts still yelling at him to tear the ANBU to shreds in order to end any future confrontations.

It was at this point that Shikaku Nara strolled into the room, the hostility so thick in the air it was almost tangible. He had just been about to leave his office to head home and catch a few hours of sleep when the Monkey ANBU had appeared before him and told him that his presence was requested in the Hokage's office immediately. The tone which Monkey used made Shikaku wonder what type of urgent situation would have Sarutobi call for him at this, and boy what a situation it was.

He saw Dog holding a small girl who was clutching at a pug in one arm, with a white tiger at his side, and an orange tiger growling at the other ANBU and the Hokage, though the old man didn't seem to worried as he was still sitting in his seat behind his desk. This is going to be troublesome, Shikaku thought to himself.

As Dog was wondering what he could do in order to calm the orange tiger down without it coming to blows he felt the small child in his arms begin to rouse, opening her liquid gold eyes which sleepily scanned over the room before landing on her bondmate.

"Goru-kun," The girl quietly mumbled, gaining the intention of the whole room. She released Pakkun who had been in her arms the whole trip, allowing the pug to soundlessly vanish. She tugged on Dog's vest for him to put her down, and after he did she walked right up to the angered tiger, before stopping directly in front of him, staring him in the eyes, gold meeting gold. She reached one of her hands up to the back of the tiger's neck, and began to rub it.

Shikaku watched the on in interest, after already hypothesizing what events took place in order for this to be occurring. He had to admit that he was a bit impressed with the little girl, who, while barely reaching the shoulders of the tiger, refused to break eye contact. The Nara watched as the previously infuriated tiger bowed his head down to the girl, causing his eyes to open the slightest bit at the power this girl seemed to hold over the summons. Most summoners would have had to forcefully withdraw their contracted summons because if the creature didn't wish to do as they were commanded then they would ignore it.

Then all the pieces clicked in Shikaku's head. He had already known that she was of the Ryoshi clan, for he already knew in advance what Dog's mission was. The Jounin commander had then come to the conclusion that this little girl was the only survivor of the clan, but now he realized just who she was; the young rumored clan heiress who had been able to instinctively summon since she was less than a year old.

"Gorudo, the shinobi were simply doing their job of protecting their leader, much like you protect me." She whispered into her bondmate's ear soothingly, still petting the back of his neck. "You would not fault them for doing what you would do had you been in their place protecting me, right?"

The large tiger lowered his head further in resignation to his mistress knowing that she was right. Then he scanned his mistress over slightly and noticed that she was a bit wobbly from awakening too early, so he laid down beside her, and nudged her with his head. She smiled at him in thanks and leaned gently against his large head. A few moments later Gorudo ended up supporting most of her weight as she could now hardly stand. She wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer at this rate.

Shiruba had also noticed her summoner was struggling with staying conscious, so she walked up till she was beside the young girl and then bowed before her.

"Hayami-sama, we are in a safe place now so please send me back." Shiruba gently pleaded with the girl. "You will have to remain awake a bit longer so you will need to retain all the energy you can."

The golden eyed girl knew that the white tiger was right, but it felt weird to have to send the white feline back to her realm after being by her side for the past 5 months. She reached out to place her hand gently on Shiruba's cheek and stroked her gently while smiling. The female tiger's eyes softened and then she vanished.

Now that Hayami was a bit more awake she made a full observation of the room. She noted seven humans other than herself in the room, consisting of Dog, the four other ANBU, the Hokage and the black haired stranger who had ended up placing himself near the Sandaime in a slightly relaxed stance. Even though she was young and tired she was now the last member of the Ryoshi clan, the last clan heiress, and she had a role to play. Actually she supposed that she's now the clan leader, though could one really be called a clan leader with just one member? Either way she had to dictate her actions in a way which wouldn't bring dishonor to her family name and past members.

"I apologize for the trouble our arrival may have caused," Hayami began while facing the Hokage and the black haired man with spiky hair. "My name is Hayami Ryoshi, and this is my bondmate Gorudo. Shiruba, one of my summons, is the one who just left."

"No trouble at all my dear, but I feel that this might be a long night. Why don't we all sit down and talk this out." The Hokage suggested, and then in a moment an ANBU member with a monkey mask brought in two chairs that were placed in front of the desk which the old man sat behind.

Hayami took the seat in the middle while Gorudo sat himself up on her right side, sitting between her and the spiky haired man who sat down.

"My name is Shikaku Nara, it is nice to meet you Hayami-san, Gorudo-san." The commander introduced himself, receiving a huff from the orange tiger, and a smile from the little girl.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Nara-san, my father had only good things to say about you." Her father had mentioned the Nara clan leader before in passing, complementing the man's intelligence which was rare for her father to do.

Hayami noticed that Dog looked like he wanted to fade away into the night and leave but she couldn't let him do that just yet. She stood up from the chair and walked over till she stood up right in front of the young shinobi and then she grabbed onto one of his big hands with both of hers. The 5 year old then proceeded to 'drag' the ANBU member towards the desk, causing Shikaku to release a low chuckle at the young shinobi's dispense.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama? Dog-kun can stay right?" The way she asked made it seem like there was no room to debate with her on this matter. With a nod of the Sandaime's head the young girl smiled before calling out to another ANBU member. "Excuse me, Monkey-san?"

Hearing himself being called Monkey was unsure of what he should do as it was not the Hokage who called for him, but as the Sandaime did nothing to stop him he decided it couldn't hurt and appeared from the shadows. He tilted his head to the girl who was holding him captain in what appeared to be a death grip, at least to the white haired shinobi.

"Could you please get Dog-kun a chair please?" Upon hearing her request he nodded his head and reappeared in a moment with another chair, which the young girl thanked him kindly for. Hayami then pulled Dog to the chair and had him sit, after which she sat back in her seat to his right, while Gorudo sent a quick glare over to Dog's direction. She placed her hand lightly on the back of the tiger's neck again as she lightly stroked him.

Hiruzen then signalled for his ANBU besides Dog to leave his office, before signalling to Hayami for her to begin.

As Hayami told of the events which took place, Shikaku couldn't stop his mind from analyzing every aspect of her story, looking for loopholes or anything suspicious that would make him doubt her story. However, he felt that she was being completely honest, and he knew by now to trust his gut in these sorts of situations. But what jutsu would allow a ninja to be able to form that sort of barrier, he pondered to himself. There was no jutsu he knew of which would create that sort of thing, no jutsu… but he knew of a kekkai genkai which could. If it was who Shikaku thought it was then this was a bigger problem than he had originally thought, how troublesome.

"I'm very sorry for what you have been through Hayami-san, especially at such a young age." Hiruzen tried to comfort the girl, who he knew must still be upset despite the brave face she has on. At this he noticed that Hayami narrowed her eyes ever so slightly before she began to speak.

"Having one's entire family being murdered is devastating no matter how old you are." Hayami frowned, the first one marring her otherwise kind looking face. "I'm sure that if any of you had almost everyone you cared about die then you would also feel upset as I am. But life goes on and you have to keep moving, or else you'll never be able to go forward, and what could be more insulting to the dead than that?"

Her words shook the white haired shinobi to his core, causing him to faintly stiffen in his seat. How could someone so young be able to move on so quickly after so little time? It had already been a few years since his sensei passed away, leaving him the only one left from his old team, a fact that dug at the back of his mind constantly.

"Of course, you are right." Hiruzen conceded to the girl before bringing up another matter of importance. "Now that you are in Konoha we are going to have to figure out somewhere for you to stay." The Hokage then looked towards the Jounin commander to hear his input.

This caused Shikaku to immediately begin calculating possible outcomes in his head. Not only was Hayami a Ryoshi who held the clan Doujutsu, but she was also the remaining clan member, and she was the heiress no less. He quickly started going through different ideas of where to place her. The orphanage was quickly crossed out of the list, because once the other ninja clans found out about her they wouldn't rest till one took custody of the child and she was placed under their protection.

He quickly crossed out the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans, knowing that they would only want the girl if they could somehow connect her to their clan permanently. Also, they might not have even offered because if they added another Dojutsu to the clan they may claim it would taint the Byakugan. The Hyuuga clan would have been one of the best fits for the girl though, because they had a strong focus in Taijustu like the Ryoshi and their Byakugan was able to see chakra, similar to the Dobuyona.

Shikaku then quickly took out the Shimura clan, Kurama clan and the Sarutobi clan. He didn't wish for such a talented girl with so much potential to fall into the hands of Danzo, so that meant no to the Shimura clan. The Kurama clan had a few members who were obsessed with increasing their Genjutsu, and the Dobuyona held several natural Genjutsus which the Kurama clan would have definitely wanted to get their hands on. And while there was nothing really wrong with allowing the Sarutobi clan to take custody of the girl, the other clans would suspect favouritism from the Hokage for his own clan.

The Aburame clan probably wouldn't be the best because they were so wary of outsiders because how they had been treated by the public because of the insects which they allow to nest in their chakra systems. The Yamanaka clan would have been fine, however their complex was too much focused into the heart of the town and he felt that Hayami would need room to run around, as he knew that tigers needed large plots of land to feel comfortable, and the girl had already displayed sharing some traits with them, so it was probably for the best. In regards to the Akimichi clan, the Jounin commander couldn't find anything wrong with that placement. In fact, the girl might even be able to advance upon her clan's Taijutsu there.

As for his own clan, he felt it might be one of the best fits. The Nara complex was more than big enough for the girl to feel relaxed in, and he would be able to keep an eye on the girl himself to make sure no one else was taking advantage of her. Plus, she was the same age as his son and she seemed as if she would be capable of keeping up with him on an intellectual level which Shikamaru hasn't been able to find in any of his other playmates.

The last clan that he could think of was the clan which would be the clan to fight for her the most was the Inuzuka clan, who had been long time friends of the Ryoshi. God, he could already imagine the field day Tsume would have if she found out. At that thought the doors slammed open before he could respond after spending the two seconds he did to collect his ideas on the matter. Speak of the devil and she'll arrive, he thought to himself, feeling a headache come on at the arrival of one of the most troublesome women he knew.

"What happened to the Ryoshi clan?!" Tsume Inuzuka shouted as she entered, her large ninken at her side. She had heard someone mention seeing large tigers run through Konoha, and the only ones that the Inuzuka knew of who could possibly have that summons was the Ryoshi. When she scanned the room she saw all familiar faces except the small girl with black eyes and her tiger companion who had positioned himself in front of the girl prepared to protect her.

The Inuzuka clan and the Ryoshi clan have been close for a very long time, starting back to the beginning of Konoha, when the Inuzuka decided to migrate to the Hidden Leaf village because they had heard the Ryoshi were here. Tsume herself had been very close friends with Hiromi Ryoshi, Hayami and Hikaru's mother; the two had even been on the same Genin team, keeping in contact even after Hiromi had left the village until her death.

"Hayami-chan?" Tsume guessed, she looked about the right age to be the clan heiress. She was about to take a step forward before Sarutobi's voice called out.

"Tsume, that's enough." After gaining the older woman's attention he continued. "Who gave you permission to barge into my office during official business?" Hearing him say this caused Tsume to still for a moment before finally understanding what was going on. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, but at least her friend's youngest had arrived. But that meant Hikaru who had played with her daughter when he had visited the village was… She had to stop herself before she choked up.

"Hokage-sama, it's alright. The news was going to get out eventually." Hayami said to the older man before turning her attention on the newest arrival, and took a few steps forward, with Gorudo by her side. "Tsume Inuzuka, right? Hikaru-nii-chan told me about you and Hana, and how you were very good friends with our mother and clan. I am very sorry to have to tell you but the entire Ryoshi clan except for myself have been killed."

Tsume was frozen stiff, having trouble actually hearing what she had suspected. She swallowed harshly, wondering why this young girl had to experience such loss at such an early age.

There was something about a 5 year old apologizing to an adult about the death of their own family that just didn't sit right with Shikaku. She was displaying the type of maturity he would expect from an adult who has learned the realities of life rather than that of a child, A side effect of being forced to grow up much too quickly, he supposed. The only time he saw a glimpse of her being childlike was her interaction with Dog.

"I am so sorry, I-" Tsume didn't know what else to say, she wasn't used to having to console 5 year olds. Her own son was the same age, but all he ever needed was a whack on the head to straighten him out, and somehow the Inuzuka thought that wouldn't be as appropriate in this situation.

"Where is the girl going to be staying?" The older woman asked instead.

"That what we were discussing before you barged in." Shikaku muttered, he knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Shut it Nara." She growled out before continuing, speaking mainly to Sarutobi. "On behalf on the Inuzuka clan, we would be more than willing to take her in. I believe that this would be the best fit for her. Not only can we help teach her about her bond with animals, but we can help train her in many aspects, as our clans have many similarities. We would also understand her behaviors much better than any other clan. Besides, her mother had been my best friend, and I owe it to her to help take care of her kid, I know she would have done it for me."

While all that was true, that was also part of the problem. By giving the Inuzuka custody of the last member of the Ryoshi clan, it was giving the Inuzuka a huge increase in power, and if the two clans merged later on, the resulting clan would undoubtedly become one of Konoha's strongest clan, maybe even the strongest. With the Dobuyona used with the Inuzuka clan jutsus the result would be almost unbeatable, which is what all the other clans would be against. It was the same reason why the two clans hadn't merged in the past, an almost unspoken rule where they knew the other clans would reign hell upon them if that happened. As the head of the Nara clan even he would be strongly against it, all of the clans would. Even the Aburame who wouldn't have cared much about the child's placement would fight for the girl to be with them rather than the Inuzuka.

"In my opinion the Inuzuka clan wouldn't be the best choice for the child. I think that placing her with either the Akimichi clan or the Nara clan would be a better fit. Perhaps even the Hyuuga." Shikaku suggested instead.

"Hell no! You just want the child under a clan in your stupid little Ino-Shika-Cho where you can keep an eye on the girl. And the Hyuuga would eat the poor girl up!" Tsume shouted, slamming her foot down and causing her ninken Kuromaru to take a step forward as well.

While Shikaku was trying to come up with a solution that would cause the least bloodshed, a voice spoke up like an angel from above.

"None of those suggestions will be needed, for I will be the one to take care of Hayami. We will stay at the old Ryoshi complex that's here." The gruff voice of Gorudo who had been silent until then announced.

"No offense cat," the Inuzuka rang out. "While I know that ninja animals and summons are very capable, I'd be an idiot if I didn't know that by now," Kuromaru gave a slight nod of his head to that. "There are some things which can only be provided for humans by other humans. And having her constantly be surrounded by overgrown cats can be good for her mentality."

"There has been no problem the past five months when it had just been us." The tiger growled out at the woman. "I can teach her anything you _humans_ can and better. She doesn't need help from filth like you."

Before Gorudo could continue, the girl in question had walked over to his side and placed her hand on his neck, calming him.

"I would actually rather stay with Gorudo and the rest of my summons if it wouldn't be too much to ask. I know that you are offering to take me in, which I kindly thank you both for, "She politely nodded to the Nara and Inuzuka clan heads, "however, I could never take advantage of your hospitality that much, it would make me feel much too uncomfortable to know that I would never be able to fully pay you back for it. And while you may think it isn't necessary it would cause me to go against my own good conscience."

The girl really left no room for a reasonable argument, and Hiruzen supposed this would actually be the best outcome. However, there was still the problem with the child needing human interaction.

"The girl still needs to be socialized with others, particularly those of the same age," Hiruzen began. "Shikaku, Tsume, your children have already started the academy, correct?" The two clans leaders nodded their heads in response. "Perfect, then Hayami, would it be alright with you to start going to the Academy after you have been able to settle in, perhaps within the next week or two?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Hayami agreed, though Gorudo was still a little annoyed.

"Great, I will talk to the instructors to let them know that they will be receiving a new student soon." Hiruzen said before continuing on the other issue. "However, it has been many years since the Ryoshi complex has been lived and there were traps put up in order to deter scavengers. I can have the traps taken care of but that means you will have to stay elsewhere tonight."

"You can stay in my home tonight." Shikaku offered, before Tsume could speak up. "The Nara clan complex is the closest to the Ryoshi complex so it'd be a good idea to get used to the area."

"I would appreciate that greatly, thank you very much Nara-san." Hayami thanked the scarred man before speaking to the older woman. "Excuse me, Inuzuka-san, if it would be alright could I come visit you sometime? I have a few question about your ninken among other things."

"Of course! You're always welcome to visit! I'll introduce you to the pups and my boy too! He's about your age, not as smart though." Tsume exclaimed with a grin on her face, the woman seemingly placated with this news, and Kuromaru seemed to give his version of a toothy smile.

"Alright then, let's head out so we can catch some sleep." Shikaku drawled out to the girl as he prepared to leave with her.

Instead of heading right towards the Nar Hayami first turned around and took a few steps before she was directly in front of Dog. Before the masked shinobi could do anything the girl's arms encircled around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you very much Dog-nii-san." The young girl said while her cheek was pressed into Dog's stomach, who looked and felt incredibly awkward and unsure of what to do with his arms until he decided to pat her lightly on her head, remembering that she was still just a 5 year old child.

Then releasing her arms from around the ANBU she thanked the Hokage and then she ran towards Shikaku who had begun to exit from the office with Gorudo on her heels. Before they left the orange tiger sent a slight nod in Dog's direction, which may have seemed unremarkable, but for the large feline it was as close to a thanks as he would ever give.

* * *

As Shikaku exited the building with the young girl, moon still illuminating the sky, he felt a tiny hand place itself into his. As he looked down he realized the the black haired girl was looking away from him as she held his hand in a strong grip, looking slightly uncomfortable to be in the unfamiliar village full of strange sights and sounds.

While they were walking he felt the girl startle as they heard a trash can fall over down an alley, causing the child to send a flare of chakra to her eyes, activating the Dobuyona. With her gold glowing eyes she took a glance around, but noticing no hostile chakra signatures she deactivated them. The usage of her chakra had caused her fatigue to increase and she began slowing her pace, with Gorudo right beside her so that the he could help keep her up.

Shikaku knew that the child wasn't going to ask, but feeling her tiny hand clutching his large one he let out a sigh, remembering how young she was despite her attitude, much like his son. Without saying anything the spiky haired man reached down and scooped the child into his arms and continued walking on.

Hayami was about to protest, not wanting to seem weak, but a look from Gorudo made her think better of it. Instead she nestled into the man's arms as she felt her heavy lids lower as she fell asleep in his arms.

Shikaku finally arrived home 4 hours late, only to have his wife greet him at the door with a pissed off look.

Yoshino Nara was not at all happy when her husband arrived late and didn't even send one of his deer summons to notify her like he always did when he knew he'd be late, causing Yoshino's mind to wander to all different possibilities. She was about to yell at him, maybe even give him a good hit to get her anger across until he saw that he was not alone. He was accompanied by a large orange tiger at his side and was holding what looked to be a young girl, about Shikamaru's age.

Shikamaru was still in the living area at 1 am, not because he was waiting for his father who was late and would pass by that room when he got home, of course not. The 5 year old Nara was just too lazy to go to his room to sleep, and for once his mother was arguing with him. However, when he heard the front door open he decided to stroll over there and harass his dad a bit.

"Yo Dad, you're late." Shikamaru said before he found himself face to face with a huge tiger. He blinked once, then twice to see if it was just his mind playing tricks on him, and when it was still there he fell backwards onto his butt in surprise.

"W-w-what the heck!?" The young boy exclaimed in shock as the tiger got even closer to him, seeming to inspect him for any sign of threat. Gorudo had bypassed the woman and gone right for the boy the same age as his mistress, curious what other children of the same age as her are like.

"Quiet Shika, you'll wake her up." Shikaku shushed his son, paying no mind that there was a tiger only inches from Shikamaru's face, though Yoshino kept looking over, wondering if she should be worried though her husband looked pretty relaxed. Then again her husband was always pretty laid back about everything, even things that would have others worked up.

"How can you be so calm when a tiger is about to eat your son?!" Shikamaru shouted back in a whispered tone after noticing a girl who looked about his age in his father's arms, which was weird because he was an only child.

"Tsk, you'll be fine." Shikaku insisted before turning to look at the tiger. "You're not going to eat him right?" At this Gorudo examined the young boy, looking deep in thought before he came to his conclusion.

"Nah, too scrawny, he wouldn't be worth the effort I'd have to go through to eat him." Gorudo stated while staring down at the boy who was feeling incredibly uncomfortable with the situation. "Besides, something about him makes me feel like he'd just leave a bad taste in my mouth."

Upon hearing the tiger's statement Shikaku couldn't help but let out a few deep chuckles, and even his wife smiled. Then he turned his attention to his wife.

"I'll explain everything in the morning, but for now let's all head to bed. It's been a long day for all of us." At that Shikaku walked over to his son before continuing. "Thanks for waiting up for me kid." The older man then gave a ruffle of his son's hair before he continued towards one of the guest bedrooms.

"I wasn't-" A slightly red faced Shikamaru tried to sputter out feeling embarrassed at having been caught, but his father had already walked away, the large tiger that had been staring at him this whole time stalked off after his father and the young girl after giving him one final look.

As Gorudo ambled off after his mistress and her carrier he thought back to the awkward looking boy. Despite looking physically weak the spiky haired child had a look in his eyes that showed he was more intelligent than he let on as he had been constantly analyzing the situation. Perhaps he would be an acceptable acquaintance for his bondmate, and if he ever tried anything the tiger would be sure go back on his prior statement and see if he truly was as bad tasting as he looked. Then again, the boy was only 5, plenty of time to instill upon him that Hayami was not to be touched by lowly commoner like himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Eye of the Tiger

* * *

Hayami instantly roused from her sleep the moment she heard someone enter the room. Sitting up she scanned the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings as she tried to recall what had led up to this. Last thing she remembered was Nara-San placing her in his large arms and the feeling of comfort they gave, lulling her to sleep.

Gorudo was slowly awakening from his position at the end of her bed, though he seemed in no rush to get up as all he did was open his eyes and stretch out his massive paws in front of him. Hayami realized that if her bondmate was this at ease with the situation then he must be confident that there are no threats nearby.

Turning her golden gaze back to the door of the room Hayami met the eyes of an older woman. At the eye contact the young girl noticed the woman seemed to stiffen slightly for a miniscule moment before relaxing, but Hayami wasn't sure as to why so she decided to ignore it.

"Good morning, my name is Yoshino Nara, I'm Shikaku's wife." The brown haired woman began, while taking a few step closer. Hayami noticed that in the woman's arms was a dark green towel. "You're Hayami-chan, right?" The younger girl nodded. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm about to go prepare breakfast but I prepared a bath for you if you would like."

"That would be great Nara-san, thank you very much." Hayami said, slightly bowing her head. The older woman seemed to be a bit stunned at just how polite the young girl was, acting anything but the 5 year old that she was.

"Alright dear, follow me then." Yoshino told her before heading out the door. Hayami noticed that Gorudo looked like he was about to get up to follow.

"Stay here, I won't take too long. If I need you I'll call for you, but till then just relax here." She told the large cat before heading to follow the older woman. Gorudo probably would have put up more of a protest except for the fact that he was not a morning person… well, a morning cat.

Hayami followed the woman out of the room and a little bit down the hall until they arrived to a bathroom. When Yoshino slid open the door for the girl steam seemed to roll out of the room, making it look all the more welcoming to Hayami who hadn't had a real bath in months, only having the river to bathe in.

"Oh!" Yoshino exclaimed, looking like she just remembered something. "You'll probably want to get out of those old ragged clothes into something clean, I'll go get something for you."

Hayami looked down and realized what a state her clothes were in. Her once white dress now was tinted a light tan, with blotches of faded reds and dark browns which had been left from old blood stains even after she had washed it in the river. The end of the dress was ripped and frayed, coming to around her knees. She had thought the dress was alright though seeing as she always made sure to wash it; however, looking at the appearance of the older woman Hayami realized she looked almost savage in comparison.

"It's alright. I have clean clothes, I'll just have one of my summons get some for me, but thank you very much for the offer." Hayami said.

"Alright then, well if you need something then just give me a holler." Yoshina said, giving the girl the towel before excusing herself to go prepare breakfast.

As girl entered the bathroom, and the door glided to a shut behind her, she felt the steam almost embrace her, soothing her. On the far side of the room was a wooden bath filled almost to the top in the shape of a large circle, a faucet on the left side of the room with a small seat and a bucket, and on the right side was counter with all the soaps she could ever need, and another door.

Hayami took off her dress clothes first, and then removed the gold bangles that extended from her wrist to halfway to her elbows, which were all connected and acted as gauntlets when she fought. Hayami had received them from her brother when she had begun training at the age of three; typically in her family they were to be given by the father, but Hayami's father often ignored her so it was Hikaru who had given them to her.

She placed her things on the counter before walking over to the stool as she sat and began to fill up the bucket. Once filled she tipped it over her head, enjoying the refreshing feeling it gave her. Hayami watched as the once clear water, now tinted with dirt, went down the drain. Then she took out one of the soaps, a fruity one, and washed herself, rinsed, then repeated until she felt clean, and then went inside the bath to soak.

After the bath began to feel like it was cooling a bit Hayami exited the water and wrapped the dark green towel around her, tucking the corner in so it would stay held up. She then brought her right hand up to her mouth and nipped her thumb, drawing a few drops of blood.

"Summoning jutsu!" Hayami exclaimed after she went through the hand seals, causing a puff of smoke to appear. As the smoke dispersed, in its place stood her summon Midoni, a golden feline decorated with black rosettes and striking green eyes.

The spotted feline took in his surroundings, and looked over to his summoner, an annoyed expression marring his face.

"You summoned me in a bathroom? Really?" Midoni growled out.

"Gomen Midoni, but I can't really go out dressed like this." Hayami gestured to the towel she was currently in.

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" The jaguar looked puzzled. He still didn't understand why humans always insisted on wearing such weird things. The garment she had on seemed to cover her parts, and isn't that what humans wanted? Why must they be so picky…

"It's not appropriate to wear out of the bathroom." Hayami stated to the summons.

"Says who? It's covering you, isn't it?" Midoni retorted back, at which his summoner looked in deep thought.

"Hmmmm, I don't really know, but I think it was one of those ladies from the clan." Hayami said. She didn't really understand why the towel wasn't appropriate, but sometimes adults are weird, she supposed.

"Why would you listen to one of those hags, bunch of good for nothing b-" The spotted feline was quickly cut off by a stern look from his summoner. "Anyways, I suppose you want me to do something about this… situation."

"Yes please. Could you please grab me something so that I will be presentable in present company. I'll be dining with the head of the Nara and his family I believe." The black haired girl asked of him.

"Alright, give me a moment." Midoni said before disappearing. When he appeared before her a few moments later there was a cloth bundle which he held from his mouth on a rope. "This should be acceptable enough for breakfast, and you can wear it to train later."

"Thank you Midoni." She spoke as she took the package in her arms. The large jaguar bowed his head, and after Hayami placed her hand on the top of his head he vanished again, back to his realm.

After unwrapping the package and finding its contents suitable she finished drying off and then got dressed. She found a mirror beside the counter and stared at her reflection which seemed unfamiliar to her after not having seen herself in the past 5 month. Hayami almost thought the girl in the reflection was another person had the golden bangles not have been present.

The girl in the mirror wore a loose sleeveless white dress which flowed down to her knees with a golden rope wrapped around her waist a few time, cinching the dress at her waist and allowing the bottom to puff out, the ends of the gold rope dangled down a little on the side of the dress. The girl's legs were covered in faint scars which shone in the light from training and having no medic to heal her. Golden eyes peered out from under the black hair which flowed to her mid-back in loose waves until she pushed her hair out of her face.

As Hayami exited the bathroom she sent a the tiniest amount of chakra out that she could, acting like a homing beacon for her bondmate who arrived moments later. As Gorudo arrived she decided she should find the older woman from before and so she sent a jolt of chakra to her eyes, activating the Dobuyona, cat-like eyes glowing bright gold.

As she scanned her forwards and found two chakra signatures coming from down the left hall she was oblivious to the chakra signature approaching her from the right. Gorudo sensed a presence coming, but recognizing who it was he decided not to notify his summoner and to simply sit back and watch the event which was about to take place.

As Hayami took a step forwards down the hall, eyes still flaring, she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder and let out a little shriek as she whipped around. As her Dobuyona was activated all she could see was a blur of chakra in front of her face causing her to fall backwards and hit her head.

 _What the…_ Shikamaru thought as the girl fell down in shock. His mother had asked Shikamaru to go to the girl's room and bring her to breakfast, though that seemed too troublesome, which he said. He knew he made a bad choice after hearing his father quietly laugh to himself. He then ran from the room to get to the visitor's room as he dodged the shuriken being thrown at him. When she wasn't in the room he headed down the hall to see if he could find her, not wanting to know what his mother would do to him if he went back empty handed.

What the 5 year old boy _hadn't_ expected to see were glowing gold eyes staring at him in shock. They looked just like the large tiger's who had decided to invade the spiky haired boy's personal space last night. As he thought that he looked to said feline from the corner of his eye, who simply gave a smirk in reply. Shikamaru hadn't even known that cats could make facial expressions, but he supposed summons were slightly different from normal animals.

"Yo," Shikamaru greeted the fallen girl, whose golden eyes seemed slightly disoriented until they stopped glowing and seemed to focus on him. He stuck out a hand to her to help her up but all she did was stare at his hand then back to him, as if wondering whether she could trust him. Seeing the hesitation he decided to crouch down so that he was at her level.

"I'm Shikamaru Nara," He introduced himself to the the girl, "My mom sent me to come find you for breakfast." He then stuck out his hand again as he stood up. "Let's go, I'm hungry."

Hayami looked up at the hand outstretched in front of her to the boy, who must be the Nara heir. Then deciding that she could trust him not to be tricking her seeing as Gorudo wasn't intervening she accepted the offer.

"Thank you," She said as she took his hand and stood up. "My name is Hayami Ryoshi, it's a pleasure to meet you Nara-san." She tilted her head forward in a bow after she was helped up.

"Just call me Shikamaru, it's easier that way. There are too many Nara's around and it'll just get confusing." The black haired boy stated.

"Alright, Shikamaru-san." Hayami said with a gentle smile aimed at the boy, whose face turned pink at. Then the two looked down and saw that their hands were still connected, causing Shikamaru's face to resemble a tomato and he released his hand, acting like he had touched hot water. Hayami didn't understand why he had reacted this way, seeing as she had held Hikaru's hand all the time and he never reacted that way. Maybe the Nara was just shy, which wasn't a good quality for a clan heir as she'd been told by Gorudo.

"Come on Ryoshi-san," The Nara boy commanded as he quickly turned his head and headed down the hall towards the dining room so he could hide his face from the girl.

Hayami realized that she had forgotten to say something and quickly sped up so she was right next to the boy, and grabbed his hand to slow him down so that he would listen.

"Gah! What are you doing woman?!" Shikamaru shouted as he tried to free his hand from her grip but wasn't able to, forcing him to face the girl.

"Hayami." She told him, causing him to look confused for a moment before realizing. "Please call me by my first name too."

"...whatever…" He said as he continued down the hall, Hayami in tow. "Tsk, how troublesome." He muttered as he realized the girl wasn't going to let go.

When Yoshino saw the two children come in her eyes slightly widened when she saw how young girl was clinging to her son's hand as they entered. Said son was lightly blushing which Yoshino couldn't help but think was adorable, and she knew her husband agreed from the hint of a smile that lit up his face.

As the children went to sit down at the table with them, Shikamaru took the seat beside his father who sat at the head of the table while Hayami decided to sit next to Shikamaru, with Yoshino sitting on her husband's other side. Hayami's bondmate then trotted up towards the table and sat himself beside her, his head easily seeing over the table thanks to his large stature.

Gorudo watched as the four humans exchanged pleasantries before beginning to eat. Looking at the humans eat made him want to go hunt down his own larger game to eat. He decided to look outside through the glass wall which lined one side of the room before seeing a large deer through the trees.

It only took Shikaku one glance at the tiger to realize what the feline wanted to do, so he decided to intervene hastily.

"Gorudo-san," The older man warned. "The deer here are not for you to eat. If you would like something to eat though I can have it prepared for you."

"Why can't I have that one? He looks pretty appetizing." Gorudo gave a feral smile.

"Gourdo-kun, that's not polite." Hayami chided her summon before looking out the glass at the deer. She sent a burst of chakra to her eyes, activating her eyes. As her bright golden eyes stared at the chakra she knew was the stag she noticed something as the glowing kept weakly flickering. She turned her eyes back to normal before continuing to speak. "Besides, if you eat that one you'll probably get sick."

The three other people at the girl; Shikamaru was shocked, Yoshino looked confused, but Shikaku simply grew interested.

"Hayami," Shikaku started, drawing the girl's attention to himself. "Why would you think that?"

"I can tell from his chakra, the deer seems to be sick. I would give him a few more days at most, unless he gets medical treatment." Hayami explained to the older man, causing his interest to only deepen.

"How do you know he is sick and it isn't just old age?" Shikaku inquired.

"The chakra just looks different." The girl said, not really sure at how to explain. At this he got up from his seat and slowly headed outside through, the others deciding to follow him.

As he slowly approached the deer, he emitted a gentle chakra letting the deer know not to run. When he reached the deer he made the hand signs for a diagnostic jutsu, causing his hands to glow green as he scanned the deer.

"You're right." Shikaku confirmed, causing his wife to look even more shocked, while Shikamaru took a page out of his dad's book and decided to look on with interest. "This stag is only 2 years old, so it isn't old age. He appears to have something wrong with his intestines." Shikaku then signalled and a clansman came over and took the deer away to take care of it.

"Thank you Hayami-san, you probably just saved that guy's life." Shikaku said to the child.

"It was no problem, I just didn't want Gorudo to get sick. He tends to eat first then ask questions, causing him to get sick on more than one occasion." At this Gorudo lowered his head down a bit in what appeared to be embarrassment. "But I am glad that it ended up being helpful.

"Well, either way, thank you very much." Shikaku slightly bowed his head in gratitude to the girl, and then they all decided to sit outside as they had finished eating.

The two adults both sat on a stone bench outside, while Shikamaru laid back on another bench with his eyes shut. Hayami decided to sit in the grass, Gorudo coming to lay behind her so that she could rest on him.

Shikaku sat silently for a moment, thinking over what he had just learned. The Ryoshi had always been secretive about their Doujutsu, so not much was known about it. The older man had known that the Dobuyona could see chakra; it was because of this that the Ryoshi clan members were often put in a team with other sensors. Shikaku also knew a few other things, but this piece of information was probably unknown to others, and he'll keep it that way for now.

"Hayami-san," Shikaku began as he faced towards the young girl on the ground. "Have you ever thought of training to become a medic nin? I'm sure that with your ability you would surely excel in that."

"I thought about it before." Hayami said. "But I decided not to be a medic nin."

"How come?" Shikamaru spoke up as a opened one eye to peer at the girl.

"I'd rather learn how to protect someone before they get hurt rather than just heal them afterwards." When she said this Shikaku couldn't help but feel slightly surprised, for he never would have expected such an answer from a young child.

Before they could continue Shikaku felt a presence approach, but after identifying the presence he decided to just continue to sit. Moment later ANBU Monkey appeared from the woods and stopped in front of Hayami, crouching down so they were face to face.

"Hayami-san, Hokage-sama has sent me to inform you that your clan complex has now been freed of any traps. It is safe to return anytime you wish." Monkey told her with a slight bow of his masked head.

"Thank you very much Monkey-san." Hayami replied back.

"Do you wish for me to show you where it is?" The ANBU offered, but before Hayami could answer Shikaku spoke.

"Don't worry about that. There is a path that goes through the Nara woods to the Ryoshi complex. I'll personally escort her there so no worries." The older Nara assured the masked shinobi. With a nod in confirmation the ANBU seemed to disappear just as quickly as he had appeared.

"Well then, shall we head to your place then?" Shikaku asked the young girl who nodded in return before they stood up.

"Thank you very much Nara-san for your hospitality and making such a delicious breakfast." Hayami bowed her head to Yoshino who smiled.

"Anytime dear. You were a delight. You make sure you come and visit often, okay?" Yoshino said to the black haired girl before smirking. "Besides, I think Shikamaru would like the company." At this Shikamaru sat up in a rush.

"Don't go making troublesome accusations!" He shouted at his mother who sent a wicked glare his way.

"Mind your manners! And don't yell at your mother!" She yelled back, emitting a terrifying aura which seemed to petrify Shikamaru where he stood until Hayami directed her attention towards him.

"It was very nice to make your acquaintance Shikamaru-san." Hayami said to him.

"You're way to polite, it's just a hassle. Act more your age." Shikamaru complained.

Hayami didn't understand what she had done wrong, everyone she had known acted this way. When she was younger she'd get in trouble if she acted immature or uncouth, so she had begun to mimic the behavior of everyone in the clan. She was the clan heir, she had to set a good example and not let anyone look down at her; she thought that Shikamaru had also understood this because of their similar situations. He's the first person she met her age, and if he didn't like her then what chance did she have with anyone at school? While she began to let her insecurities plague her Shikamaru interrupted her thoughts.

"Oi, don't go over analyzing that. I don't really care how you act, I'm just saying that you don't have to try so hard around me if you don't want." The spiky haired boy explained awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Thanks Shikamaru-san. I'll see you around then?" Hayami wondered.

"Sure. I'll probably see you at the academy." He responded lazily before sitting back down, wondering why he had even gotten up in the first place.

"Gorudo-kun, time to head off." Hayami announced before following after Shikaku who had already began to walk towards a path in the woods.

* * *

The two humans and tiger had been walking down a path in the woods for the last half hour until they reached a large reached a white stone which was about a meter tall with the Ryoshi clan symbol carved into it in gold, which resembled an eye.

"This is where the Ryoshi property begins." Shikaku told the girl. "Would you like me to continue to accompany you to the clan complex? I can come with you to check that all the traps were disengaged." He offered.

"It's alright Nara-san. We can handle it from here, but thank you for the offer." She politely told him. "Also, thank you very much for everything you've done for me since I arrived to Konoha. You offered help even when you didn't have to. If there is anything that I can ever do for you to return the favor please let me know."

"Don't worry about it, we're neighbors now." Shikaku assured.

"Alright then, well thank you again Nara-san." Hayami said.

"If you need anything at all come by the complex." He said, and then as he turned around to leave he said one last thing to the tiger. "And don't eat any of my deer Gorudo-san." Which earned a huff of annoyance from said feline.

With that the Nara disappeared down the path which they had come from, seeming to blend into the shadows of the woods.

Hayami and Gorudo continued down the path for a while longer, walking for they have any need to rush. They soon found themselves at the end of the woods, staring at a large complex of buildings that looked like they had been neglected for a long while. The grounds seemed to be overrun with weeds, and the buildings looked unkempt with vines growing around them and patches of the roof tiles and walls broken.

"Well, I guess this is home now." Hayami said. She walked into the main building with Gorudo by her side, floor tiles creaking under their feets. The young girl continued to walk until she came to a large stone wall with the large hieroglyphic eye of her clan symbol which looked to be in perfect condition in comparison to the rest of the house that seemed like it would need a lot of work to be livable.

There was no handle, but after hearing from her family from before she knew how to open the room. Hayami took her nails from her right hand to her left and slashed down on the palm, allowing blood to flow from the wound. She then raised her left hand to the door and placed it on it, hearing her blood sizzle upon contact and then the wall seemed to dissolve into thin air in front of her, leaving the treasure of the Ryoshi clan able to be viewed.

Scrolls and books lined the walls from the ground to the ceiling, with several doors that would lead to rooms with specialized subjects. This library was the Ryoshi clan's most guarded secret, for it held all the knowledge that the different branches of the family learned and collected. There was one room in particular which many shinobi had tried to get into, which was the back room which was filled with all the summoning scrolls which the clan had been gathering for generations.

Hayami took a few steps into the room with Gorudo at her heels, her large eyes taking in a sight she'd only been told about. However, upon taking another step she was only able to see a glint before it was too late. She was only able to flinch as a kunai was aimed towards her heart, and Gorudo wasn't fast enough to push her out of the way. Before the kunai could meet its target a gust of air pushed the metal from its path, instead making it slice across her left shoulder.

"Hayami! Are you alright?" Gorudo shouted in concern, placing himself in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just a scratch" She said while inspecting her shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

"Fine, but you should call Midoni so he can bring some bandages. Besides, you'll need him so we can unpack all the things we brought from home." The tiger said, still feeling concerned for his mistress. If they had already ran into one trap in the library after only a few steps then there was no telling how many more there would be. He saw Hayami nod in agreement before she went through the hand seals meticulously, going a bit too slow for his tastes. Hand seals had always been a weak point of his mistress no matter how often she practiced.

"Summoning jutsu!" Hayami shouted after swiping her right hand over her bleeding shoulder for the sacrifice.

With a poof of white the jaguar appeared before his summoner.

"Well, this is an improvement from the bathroom." Midoni muttered before turning his gaze on the other feline. "However, the company leaves something to be desired." The rosette covered feline said, earning a growl from the tiger.

"Shut up polka dots, can't you see this isn't the best time for that." The tiger growled out.

"Whatever strippy." Then Midoni saw the wound on his summoner's shoulder. "What do you want me to do about it? Looks like it just needs a lick and then it'll be fine."

"I can't reach, could you get me some bandages please?" Hayami asked.

"I mean, I suppose I could." Midoni said before he noticed that the small girl looked a little bit dizzy on her feet. A wound so small shouldn't be having such an effect on her, unless…

At that moment, Hayami collapsed into unconsciousness onto the ground, causing the two felines to panick. Gorudo went to Hayami's side while Midoni went right to the kunai, sniffing it, and sure enough he could smell poison on it.

"Gorudo." Midoni said, to which the tiger nodded in understanding. "You stay with her and contact me mentally if something happens. I'll go find help."

With that the golden jaguar sprinted from the house and through the woods, smelling around for the closest human who would be able to help. He located the smell of a human who was south of the complex and ran in that direction, his emerald eyes scanning the woods as he ran. The feline reached a road a found a human male on a dirt road that seemed to leave to the main part of the village.

The shinobi could feel the presence of a weird chakra approaching him rapidly and reached around his back so that he could grab his sword if it turned out to be a threat. From the woods a blur of gold jumped out and stopped a few meters from him. It appeared to be a large feline with black specks all over it with bright green eyes that seemed to be scanning himself.

"Don't worry, I mean you no harm." The large cat spoke to him, causing the ninja to stiffen. "My summoner has been injured with a poisoned Kunai north of here and needs help. Do you happen to have any knowledge on poison antidotes?"

The man decided that the feline's summoner was probably a Konoha ninja, though there were only large clan complexes north of here and they probably wouldn't need an outsiders help, so he honestly had no clue who it could be.

"Well you're in luck cat. I often use poison myself so I know a bit about antidotes." He said to the large cat.

"I'm a jaguar, not some house cat." It growled out before facing the woods. "If you would please follow me, and make haste."

WIth that the jaguar took off at a pace which made the male shinobi have to run after it at full speed, dodging around trees until arriving at a place which surprised the ninja, the Ryoshi complex. Someone probably tried to break into the complex again was the first thought that popped into his head, but staring at the summon in front of him he realized that one of the clan members could be here visiting.

"In here" The jaguar's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The young man followed after the feline into the main building into what would be the sitting room, where a young girl was laying on the ground apparently passed out with a large tiger leaning over her.

He immediately approached the little girl who was covered in a sheen of sweat, breathing heavily, and kneeled at her side, ignoring the tiger who gave a light growl but didn't seem to be a threat. This child can't be more than five, the ninja thought to himself.

The shinobi took note that the poison had been inflicted through the shoulder wound. He gently open the lid of one of her eyes so he could see if the pupil was constricted or not, and to his surprise he saw a golden catlike eye, with a black slit in the middle. She was definitely a Ryoshi, but why was she by herself?

He continued to work diligently, swiping his finger over the shoulder to get some blood on it before bringing it up to his nose to smell, trying to identify the poison. He then opened up the pack at his hip and brought out a scroll which he opened, causing multiple small vials to appear. He began mixing a few before pouring the finished concoction down the child's throat, pinching her nose for a moment causing her to swallow it. Now all there was to do was wait.

* * *

A/N

Can anybody guess who the mystery shinobi is?

Clan symbol: Think the Eye of Horus

Also, I tried to change the perspective around less in this chapter because it might have been a bit too confusing jumping around so often.

IMPORTANT: I will be changing the story title and description after posting the next chapter which should be within a couple days because I have most of it written out.

 **New Title** : Breaking Mirrors

 **New Description** (may change a bit because I am still figuring out the wording):

A chance encounter with a stranger can change a life. When a man in a white mask brings a little girl with an affinity for big cats to Konoha her life changes forever. As she grows up and learns the harsh truths of reality she begins to have nightmares of the stranger she has become. OC (Previously Eye of the Tiger)


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